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What are Ambisonic recordings? What microphones are used to capture these sound effects? What software is needed to use them? Where can you find Ambisonic field recordings?

This month’s series was designed to answer those questions. We’ve learned a lot about Ambisonics during the past month. We began by reviewing the basics. Then, a handful of field recordists generously shared their knowledge with us.

Today’s post summarizes all the info we’ve discovered so far. It includes a list of microphones, software, hardware, and applications for Ambisonics. There are also a few links to existing Ambisonic sounds you can download and try yourself.

Earlier this month I released the free Jet Fly Bys sound effects library over on Airborne Sound. I explained that I had captured those field recordings when I found myself living beneath the flight path of an international airport.

A reader recently wrote me to tell me he tried the same technique after reading the post here. Chris Procopiou lives near Heathrow Airport outside of London, England. He described his experience recording his own jet airliners in a post on his blog. And here's a bonus: he's offering them to the community free of charge. Check them out!

However, nature field recordings are some of the most difficult sound effects to capture. Finding pure wilderness locations is difficult. Atmospheres are constantly invaded by air traffic and distant delivery trucks. The sound of rural industry travels for miles and overlaps even remote conservation areas. Sonic purity seems incredibly elusive. And, when field recordists do find a few moments of peace, wind, rain, and snow make field recording a challenge.

Perhaps that is why it is hard to find knowledge about recording these tricky sound effects. A handful of weekend workshops introduce fans to wilderness field recording. However, the most precious soundscapes are beyond the reach of a weekend retreat. They require descending into canyons or hiking into deserts, or month-long expeditions deep into jungles. The process is difficult, and few have returned to share their experiences recording there. So, knowledge of how to gather these field recordings simply does not exist.

Thankfully, collecting sound from these stunning locations is within our grasp. Just last week a new guide was released to help you gather field recordings in almost every conceivable wilderness environment: Gordon Hempton’s Earth is a Solar Powered Jukebox.

A quick update: I’ve added a new page to my independent sound effects library search engine, Sound Effect Search. The page is a community service that lists sound fx sales, discounts, and bundles from indie sound fx library publishers. Just click the links there to visit the Web shop and save on cool sound fx.

Since it’s American Thanksgiving weekend, there are many sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Check them out!

I update the list every time I spot a new sale, so you can bookmark the page and check back for new deals. You’re also welcome to follow Sound Effects Search on Twitter, or subscribe to the free email newsletter or RSS feed.

The year-long project, led by field recordist and sound designer Andy Martin, aims to capture 15–30-minute long 96 kHz quad ambiences from 72 distinct locations across the Pacific northwest at various times during the day. Interestingly, Martin plans to include impulse responses from each location as well.

The project is already well underway, having gathered over $2,500 out of a $9,450 goal. If you’re interested in nature ambiences, preserving the sound of northwest America, or want to grow your sound library, check out the project. Here’s the link to The Northwest Soundscapes Project Kickstarter page.

As field recordists, we all know that venturing out of the studio to capture sound effects takes thought, effort, and skill. Weather, network demands, and milestone deadlines highlight another challenge: time. Superior field recordings are diligent and comprehensive; neither aspect can be rushed. That’s a shame, since sound fx editing becomes easier when pros have multiple variations of similar sound clips. It just isn’t possible for a single recordist to gather ample variety on the tight schedules that are becoming more common in pro audio. So, how can someone stretched for time beat this problem?

One increasingly popular way is crowdsourcing. This approach combines the efforts of an entire community of skilled pros to create something bigger than a single field recordist can accomplish themselves.

Field recordist and sound designer Tim Prebble was one of the first sound pros to champion a crowdsourced sound fx collection. That became the respected "Doors" sound library of 2010.

Today’s article will explore this community project and its website. The post will explain how you can become involved in this intriguing new crowdsourced sound library, and how it can keep giving back to collaborators, years after their first upload.